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Amar’e Stoudemire was inspecting art at Christie’s in Rockefeller Center on a sweltering afternoon in June. He was drawn to a tall piece by David Hammons, an influential artist whose work is in the permanent collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It was a smoky cloud scape created by bouncing a basketball covered in graphite and dirt on paper.

Mr. Stoudemire, who wore a drapey black T-shirt, ripped black jeans and a gray bandanna around his head, offered commentary as a member of his entourage recorded video on her phone. “Art can be expressed in many different ways,” he said. “The great thing about it is that it relates to basketball.”

A woman from Christie’s lobbed an assist: “It’s called ‘Throwing Up a Brick.’ I’m not sure that’s a good thing in your world.”

But Mr. Stoudemire’s world is changing. After 14 seasons as a professional basketball player, including four and a half seasons with the New York Knicks and six All-Star Game appearances, he recently announced his retirement from the N.B.A. He now plays in Israel for Hapoel Jerusalem, a team in which he had an ownership stake.

His life beyond the hardwood already includes fashion. He has scrunched front row next to Anna Wintour at runway shows, collaborated with Rachel Roy on a women’s athletic-wear line, and was named one of Sports Illustrated’s 50 best-dressed athletes.

More recently, he has appeared in films (including Amy Schumer’s 2015 comedy “Trainwreck”), co-written a kosher cookbook after declaring himself “culturally Jewish” and purchased a 185-acre cattle farm in Hyde Park, N.Y.

But his most ambitious endeavor may be as an art curator and dealer.

Already an avid collector, with works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and other blue-chip artists in his personal stash, Mr. Stoudemire now hopes to parlay his reputation as a cultural tastemaker into art-world clout.

His plan is to act as a conduit between emerging artists and professional athletes with wads of disposable income. He has advised former Miami Heat teammates like Udonis Haslem and Justise Winslow on their collections. The actress Gabrielle Union called when she was looking for a piece to give her husband, Dwyane Wade. Chandler Parsons of the Memphis Grizzlies reached out to inquire about pieces he spotted on Mr. Stoudemire’s Instagram feed.

“There’s a community of guys, maybe two handfuls, that are starting to become art collectors and taking it serious,” Mr. Stoudemire said of N.B.A. players. “That’s where I come in, to educate the rest of my colleagues on art and the art world. I’m able to bring a certain swagger to art, whether it’s pop culture or sports or entertainment.”

And last week, he completed a deal to become a brand ambassador for Sotheby’s, where he will host dinners and act as a liaison to high net-worth athletes.

“It’s amazing to see someone of his athletic prowess so genuinely curious and interested in art and objects,” said Saara Pritchard, a vice president at Christie’s, after the meeting. “His reach is beyond the conventional circles of the art world.”

Mr. Stoudemire did not grow up around art. He was raised in a troubled household in Lake Wales, a small city in central Florida. His father died of a heart attack when he was 12; his mother struggled with addiction and was incarcerated. His older brother, Hazell, whom Mr. Stoudemire describes as a “guardian angel,” died in a 2012 car accident (Mr. Stoudemire has memorialized him with a teardrop tattoo on his right cheekbone).

“We really couldn’t afford any pieces of art on the wall,” Mr. Stoudemire said. “I wasn’t exposed to any galleries or events until I got into the N.B.A. Not at all.”

His interest blossomed after he signed a five-year, $99.7 million contract with the Knicks in 2010 and moved to New York. Living in a terraced penthouse on Jane Street in the West Village, he began visiting galleries and befriended artists like Rob Pruitt, Mr. Brainwash and Retna.

“He’s like a thirsty sponge, in terms of being open to all different types of art,” said Mr. Pruitt, an art world social fixture known for his glittery panda paintings, flea market installations and other provocative pieces.

The pair was introduced through Mr. Pruitt’s gallery, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, after Mr. Stoudemire asked about his work. They quickly became friends, and Mr. Stoudemire’s family (he is married with four children) visited Mr. Pruitt’s South Brooklyn studio to make art.

“He was immediately attracted to a pop culture sensibility, which made sense to me, because he had become a pop icon himself,” Mr. Pruitt said.

Mr. Stoudemire took his newfound interest in art on the road, visiting galleries and museums during the basketball season. He discussed art with teammates like Carmelo Anthony as well as Darrell Walker, who was then an assistant coach.

He reached out to Gardy St. Fleur, an art adviser from Brooklyn who consults with many basketball players. “I started studying, reading magazines, having extended conversations with friends about it, for about a year or so,” Mr. Stoudemire said.

Another source of guidance was Kasseem Dean, the hip-hop producer who performs as Swizz Beatz, who entered the art world via entertainment. “I gave him advice to collect from his heart and not to worry about who’s important or who’s the No. 1 artist at the time,” Mr. Dean said.

Mr. Stoudemire’s collection, which he has named the Melech Collection (meaning “king” in Hebrew), now includes around 70 works. It is largely composed of ’80s pop art, street art and works by contemporary artists like Eddie Martinez and Bradley Theodore, who gave Mr. Stoudemire a “Black Jesus” painting at his retirement party in August.

“I buy from friends who are artists or from word of mouth,” Mr. Stoudemire said, describing his taste as “positive vibes.” He has a growing interest in classical European art, but is less comfortable with abstract art. “Paintings that look very simple, I haven’t really gotten into that yet,” he said, smiling. “It’s tough. You’re not sure. It seems like you can do it, anyone can create that painting.”

He is making his presence known in the art world, as he has done with the fashion scene. He attended his first Art Basel Miami Beach last December, where he was the guest of honor at a Surface magazine luncheon, visited the Scope art fair, spoke at a panel discussion about athletes who collect art, hosted a dinner with Bloomberg Pursuits, and bought a Hebru Brantley painting at Mr. Dean’s No Commission fair.

And he was, of course, chatting up his art consultancy. As a respected and well-liked basketball star, Mr. Stoudemire believes he can bring nontraditional art buyers into the fold. His appeal relies on his reputation.

“He’s held in high esteem amongst other players in the league,” said Mr. Winslow, a second-year small forward on the Heat who is a collector of street art. During the basketball season, the two discussed African art and analyzed pieces in hotel lobbies. “He’s traveled the world, lives in New York and he’s surrounded by some of the top artists and influencers,” Mr. Winslow said.

“It goes back to trusting who’s schooling you on art,” Mr. Stoudemire said. “My word and character is on the line. I want to keep that golden.”

After the meeting at Christie’s, Mr. Stoudemire hopped into a giant black S.U.V. (he sat in the third row, with his feet nearly touching the back of the passenger seat). Thumbing through Instagram, he chuckled at a post comparing the appearance of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson to the ’90s R&B star Jon B. “That’s funny,” he said. “They do look alike.”

The car sluggishly headed downtown to a crowded stretch of Broadway, south of Canal Street. Mr. Stoudemire emerged, towering a full head above the teeming humanity.

Joined by his wife, Alexis Welch, who wore a floral-print head wrap and a distressed denim jacket and carried a turquoise Fendi handbag, Mr. Stoudemire’s swelling entourage piled into an elevator for a meeting at Artsy, a website that helps users discover art. (“It’s literally Wiki for art,” said his publicist, Tammy Brook. “You can type in ‘Daniel Arsham’ and it will show you everything.”)

The group settled into a white-walled conference room with small desks. “It reminds me of in-school suspension,” Mr. Stoudemire said. Artsy staffers filled the remaining seats. After Carter Cleveland, the suave founder of Artsy, briefly introduced himself (“I don’t know what we’re going to work on, but I’m sure it will be something great,” he said), one of Mr. Stoudemire’s representatives gave a presentation about “influencers” and “first movers” as he nodded in silence.

After the meeting, Mr. Stoudemire and his cohort wedged back into the idling S.U.V. The next stop on this whirlwind day of art gatherings was Sotheby’s. As the vehicle moved through leafy TriBeCa, he was reflective about the future. Along with art, he said, there was filmmaking, sports broadcasting, even player management. “The N.B.A. is a temporary thing,” he said. “What’s your next passion?”